Revision as of 05:24, 3 April 2013

Guide to Richmond County New York and Staten Island genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, military, immigration and naturalization records. This page describes sources of genealogical data about Richmond (Staten Island) County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

Richmond County New York Historical Facts

The Borough of Staten Island is one of five boroughs of The City of Greater New York. It became a borough of New York City in 1898. Before that time, it was an independent county in the State of New York (Richmond County). Today, it is still an independent county but is simultaneously a borough of the City.

When it first became part of New York City, it was called the Borough of Richmond. In 1975, it was officially renamed the Borough of Staten Island. Both terms are found in records.

Start dates for major Richmond (Staten Island) County, New York Genealogy records

Name Changes

Staten Island has rarely had any boundary changes, but there have been political changes which altered its name and the location of records.

1664 Yorkshire became the first large government unit (not actually a county) organized by New York after the English took control from the Netherlands. It was divided into three ridings including West Riding (Staten Island, Brooklyn, and modern Elmhurst in Queens).[6][7]1683 New York extinguished Yorkshire, creating Richmond County from part of Yorkshire.[6][7]1687 Administrative divisions were started which eventually evolved into townships. [9]1898 Staten Island joined New York City as the Borough of Richmond. [10] At this time, vital statistics began to be collected at the city level instead of at the county level.1975 The Borough of Richmond was officially renamed the Borough of Staten Island. [9] It is still an independent county.

Record Loss

Richmond County New York Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

Chiefly Bible records: copied from those of the Staten Island Hist. Society at Port Richmond, Staten Island, N.Y. Photocopies of transcripts of family bible records collected in the 1930's. The digital images of this collection have also been posted at the Richmond County Genweb site. This is also available at Ancestry ($) and on FHL film 0509187

Biography

Books

Prominent Men of Staten Island, A.V. Hubbell, New York, 1893. Available free at Internet Archive.

Census

Two early documents are:

1655 - Van Laer, A.J.F. "A List of Settlers on Staten Island Who Survived the Massacre of 1655," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Jul. 1903):210-211. Digital versions at Google Books; and at New York Family History ($); .

1706 - Stillwell, John E. "Census of Staten Island in the Year 1706," Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey, Vol. 1 (1903):149-155.[11] Digital version at Internet Archive - free.

Federal

For information and tips on using and accessing federal census records, see New York Census.

New York State

New York often took censuses in the years between the federal censuses. The state census records may have columns that were different or more unusual than those found on federal censuses. The responses and years of coverage may give additional information on the family.

In Richmond County, the state census was taken beginning in 1855. The various ways to access it are listed below.

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.

Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.

Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.

Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.

Also on microfilm. See the Family History Library line in the above State Census Chart. These can be ordered through any Family History Center.

Church Records

Church records are good substitutes for birth, marriage, and death information and are most often found on a local city/town or county level. Published and manuscript church records can be found at public, university, and private libraries.

For a brief general history of denominations and a guide to finding various New York denomination's records, see New York Church Records Wiki page.

to 1899 - Records of Burials in the Dutch Church, New York. New York, USA: Reformed Dutch Church, 1899. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Books

Liber A (1680-1709) is transcribed in: Historical and genealogical miscellany: Data relating to the early settlement and settlers of New York and New Jersey, Vol. I, John E. Stillwell, M.D. New York, 1903. Available free at the Internet Archive.

Genealogy

Rootsweb message board for Richmond County has many information threads about families that resided in that county. There is a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.

History

Jewish Records

The Museum of Family History has compiled a list of synagogues that operated in Richmond (Staten Island). Synagogue names and addresses are included.[15]

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Richmond (Staten Island) County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Military

Revolutionary War

Richmond County men served in the 2nd New York Regiment.[17] However, few Staten Islanders fought on the side of the Patriots.

Staten Island was occupied by the British army during most of the war. In 1775 the 3,000 residents of Staten Island were among the most loyal of British subjects in North America. They sold provisions to the Royal Navy; and instructed their delegates to the New York Provincial Congress to vote against American independence. But by the end of the war and the occupation, Staten Islanders were ready to celebrate the withdrawal of British forces. Those who still had British sympathies, or feared retribution for their Tory activities, fled to Canada or the British Isles. [18]

In 1776, the Billop house (now called Conference House) on Staten Island was the site of a peace conference which attempted to end the Revolutionary War. Edward Rutledge, John Adams, General Howe and Benjamin Franklin were among those in attendance. The attempt failed because the Patriots continued to insist on Independence from the English Crown. [19]

War of 1812

Staten Island was instrumental in protecting New York Harbor from British invasion during the war of 1812. Several forts will built on the island; Fort Wadsworth is still extant. Find more history here.

Staten Islanders can be found in New York Adjutant General's Office Index of Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812. It is available on CD from Genealogical Publishing ($), in a database at Ancestry ($), and in book form at the New York State Library. There is a transcribed index (no images) to Staten Island names found in these records at RootsWeb.

1840 Military Pensioners

A census of pensioners for revolutionary or military services, with their names, ages, and places of residence, as returned by the marshals of the several judicial districts, under the act for taking the sixth census, Book III of the Sixth Census, United states Census Office, Washington, DC. 1841. Available (free) at Internet Archive.

Civil War

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

There were draft riots in 1863 in New York City. On Staten Island, men of means procured substitutes by means of a $300 payment. The lists of men who were drafted, therefore do not mean they actually served.. The transcribed list is available at RootsWeb.

Regiments. Those who served were assigned to various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.[20]

Other Resources

Census records. Federal census records may help in identifying soldiers or their survivors. The Federal 1890 Census Veterans and Widows Census Schedules survives. There is a transcription at Richmond County GenWeb. These records may also be found in Schedules enumerating Union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War,FHL film number 0338206, which has been digitized and is available online at Family Search.

Original letters from Staten Island soldiers who served in the Union Army have been digitized and are online free at Staten Island Soldiers.

Obituaries

Periodicals

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the county Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives. See New York Probate Records for more information about using probate records. Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.Record types: Wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distribution.

Probate Petitions

In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

Books

1670-1800:Staten Island wills and letters of administration, Richmond County, New York, 1670-1800: as found in the Surrogates Court, New York County, New York and abstracted by the New York Historical Society, 1892-1908 and Staten Island references found in the New Jersey colonial documents, Charlotte Megill Hix, Bowie, Md. : Heritage Books, 1993. Find it at WorldCat.

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Richmond County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1985). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.726 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

College of Staten Island (CUNY)[23]Archives and Special CollectionsLibrary, 1L-2162800 Victory BoulevardStaten Island, New York 10314Phone 718-982-4128Fax: 718-982-4127Email: archives@mail.csi.cuny.edu

County Historian

Genealogical Resources: The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Courthouses

The Richmond (Staten Island) County Clerk's office land records; the Surrogate Court has probate records; and the County Health Department has marriage and death records. For further information about where the records for Richmond County are held, see the Richmond (Staten Island) County Courthouses page.

Social Groups Online

Taxation

1699–1734 Tax assesment rolls New York Public Library; Family History Library's Film 484033. These rolls are a great finding aid to locate someone that was a city resident and finding the ward they belonged to; includes renters and owners. There is a break in the years from 1710 to 1720. The rolls from 1721 to 1734 include Queens, Richmond, and Westchester as well as New York City. [25]

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. For further details, try the links to individual town Wiki pages found in Places. See also:

Gordon L. Remington, New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002). NEHGS online edition; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 D27r. Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.

Municipal Records starting 1847

Staten Island births after consolidation into the City of New York (from 1898 to 1909) are held at the New York City Municipal Archives where you can order copies online for fee. Some pre-consolidation town and village birth records for the years 1847-1849 and 1881-1897 are also held there.

To order a birth certificate, you will need to know the year of birth, and the certificate number, if possible. Use the indexes below to find the year and certificate number. If you cannot find the exact information, you may request the Municipal Archives to search several years for an additional fee.

After 1909

Birth records from 1909 to the present can be ordered online from the New York City Department of Health ($). An index is available in Births Reported in the City of New York, 1881-1965 on FHL Film. (For Staten Island, however, the birth records on this film do not start until 1898).

1800–1855New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.

Additional resources for Richmond County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Richmond– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

↑For an analysis of this source, see: Patricia Law Hatcher, "The Staten Island Census A List Analysis," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 140, No. 4 (Oct. 2009):261-271. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 140.